The causes which had produced the wars of the Roses were carefully watched by the Tudor sovereigns, and one by one rooted out. Laws were passed against noblemen keeping large retinues, and were not suffered to remain a dead letter. The nobility of England learned to stand in awe of the Crown in a way they never did before, and never have done since. Every branch of the royal family, except the reigning dynasty, was on one pretext or another lopped away. Every powerful nobleman knew that just in proportion as he was great, it was necessary for him to be circumspect. Under Henry VIII. and Elizabeth, birth and rank counted for very little, and the peers became submissive instruments, anxious, and indeed eager, to carry out the sovereign’s will. In short, the unity of a divided nation was restored under a set of politic kings, who enforced the laws, kept down the nobility, and, in spite of their despotism, were generally loved by the people.
[319.1] A notable example of this is afforded by the letters of Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, which will be found printed in my Letters and Papers of Richard III. and Henry VII. His successor in title, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, the favourite of Henry VIII., wrote quite as barbarous a hand, and outraged orthography in a manner equally bewildering.
[320.1] No. 931.
[320.2] No. 946.
[320.3] No. 945.
[321.1] No. 34.
[321.2] The modern mode of adding up columns of arabic numerals was called Algorism or Awgrym. Thus Palsgrave gives as an example of the use of the word—‘I shall reken it syxe times by aulgorisme, or you can caste it ones by counters.’—Promptorium Parv. i. 18.
[321.3] No. 224.
[322.1] No. 332.
[322.2] Statute 6 Hen. VIII. ch. 3.